Tag Archives: painting

So let’s go back about 2 years…. My studio mate Ken Harman of Spoke Art gets an unsolicited email from an oil painting factory in China. The email explains how the factory is excellent in making reproductions of great works of art as well as portraits, landscapes, nudes etc. All at very reasonable prices.

I thought “shit, that would be a great show”. The idea was to have inexpensive copies of emerging contemporary artists and display them side by side. It calls into question so many things about our culture of individuality, the art world, marketplace and value. We had to do it. But we never did, UNTIL NOW!!!!

Our preoccupation with originality is filled with nuances and paradox. We assign market value to original art pieces for their scarcity, driven by the singular vision of the artist, yet we readily consume designer knock-offs from stores like Forever 21 and H&M, which make their profits from directly imitating the runway collections of Marc Jacobs, Donatella Versace and Alexander Wang. Is fine art something that, too, can be imitated? The rising popularity of giclees, art toys and limited edition sculptures seems to say that the answer is yes for many consumers.

What place do imitations hold in the art market? How do we measure the value of creativity? Viewers are invited to ask themselves these questions when viewing the original works and their imitations in “Made in China.

Art Works Downtown is excited to present: “Memento Mori” a unique two-man exhibition by Bay Area artists Eddie Colla & D Young V.

Memento Mori, a Latin term for ‘remember death’, is an artistic symbol for remembering the inevitability of death, and is a continuing theme throughout Eddie Colla’s and D Young V’s work. The artists’ installations depict the end of the world juxtaposed to the rising up of a new world from ashes, and a future reduced to the tasks of survival and memory.

The show opens Friday, August 30, 2013 and runs through Friday, October 11, 2013 in the Art Works Downtown main gallery located at 1337 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA, 94901. An opening reception will be held on September 13, 2013 from 5-8 p.m. A closing reception will be held on October 11, 2013, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Art Works Downtown is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Included in this exhibit are the individual artists’ drawings and mixed media works on found objects. The gallery will also showcase a number of collaborative pieces designed specially for Art Works Downtown. These installations represent years of artistic collaboration, both on the street and in galleries, where their mutual styles, ideas, influences, and perceptions become clearly evident.

Last month I did the artwork for the cover of this Month’s Sierra Magazine. This was really an ideal situation. It’s a rare opportunity to get to work with a group as important as the Sierra Club. I also had the freedom to simply take this project and do what I do. Really, it was an ideal working environment. It’s always satisfying to be able to do your art while contributing to something you truly support. Some of you from San Francisco’s art community may recognize the model I used for the cover.

D young V and I collaborated of this piece in November. The Original piece is a 16×20 foot mural that was created as a part of Oakland’s First Fridays gallery walk. The Mural was reproduce on a 1 inch to 1 foot scale as a 16×20 inch Giclee print on 300lb Itlaian made cold press watercolor paper. This VERY limited edition print is a run of 20 only. Each print is signed by both artists and numbered.

Our good friend Nite Owl got us involved with this project for Art Murmur Oakland. A 16×20 ft wall to do whatever the fuck we pleased with. D young V and I only had a couple of days to bang this out . I actually like short deadlines because it cuts through all the bullshit and indecision. You just get it done. Awesome group of artists too. Nite Owl, Filth and Grime, Aura, Roar, 7seas, croma, onedr, Lydia Emily etc….